Ky. Rep. Backs Out of Term Limit Pledge (Ken Lucas-D)

Associated Press ^ | 2/01/03

[Hot Tabasco]

, but have found that many 'publicans do not want to live by the same ethics and rules they impose on the 'rats.

Agreed! Which is why I hold myself above and beyond any democrap because I see same behaviour and practice in Republicans but yet I have the guts to stand up and tell them they are hypocrites and will not get my vote again!

[philetus]

So, who actually believed him when he made the pledge?

He's a politician!

[fieldmarshaldj]

"In the natural order of the universe, the KY-04 should be represented by a Pubbie. However, Gex Williams dropped the ball in 1998. However in a weird sense of cosmic justice, Pubbie Anne Northup represents the KY-03. Every election year, both Northup & Lucas survive massive onslaughts by the opposition. This proves how difficult it is to unseat an incumbent of either party."

I believe Gex was considered (or painted) as too "right wing" for the seat and was beset with all sorts of problems (basically was the wrong candidate for the seat), and Lucas benefitted as a result. Conversely, the reason why Northup won in '96 was because the Dems had way too liberal an incumbent in Mike Ward, who only won in '94 because his GOP opponent was a liberal and a conservative 3rd party candidate ran (although she nearly won, anyway). I don't think the GOP has really attempted to get back the 4th, the people they put up seem positively 2nd tier. But we never hear enough in the media about how the 'Rats are as serious as a heart attack about taking "their 3rd" back. They do run serious candidates, but all end up being duds.

"If the GOP manages to oust Lucas in 2004, then great."

Though they have to get the right candidate (the one who just ran might be a possibility) and, of course, raise the $$. Same with across the river in Indiana with Baron Hill, a vulnerable incumbent that we virtually ignored in favor of the false hope we could win Julia Carson's seat.

"I just hope in the process of defeating Rep. Ken Lucas, Rep. Anne Northup hangs on to her Louiseville seat. She would be the perfect heiress to Jim Bunning's Senate seat."

I think she'll do just fine in holding that marginal seat, perhaps she might have it in her to stay as long as Romano Mazzoli did.

"Just as Marsha Blackburn would be the perfect heiress to Bill Frist's Senate seat. I would love to see pro-life female Senators arguing with Barbara Boxer over abortion."

I don't think Frist will leave at the end of his current term since his elevation to Majority Leader. Marsha we need to tend to state issues and I'd like her to run for Governor to oppose the dreadful Bredesen. I don't want Boxer to be in the Senate long enough to see either Northup or Blackburn have to argue with that a$$ ! The GOP needs to nominate a solid candidate to take her out.

[Republican Wildcat]

Incorrect. The NRCC has had very little presence if any in either time Lucas ran for re-election. Davis almost defeated him on his own last time around, and Lucas had a significantly larger campaign war chest.

[Republican Wildcat]

Every election year, both Northup & Lucas survive massive onslaughts by the opposition.

There has been no "massive onslaught" against Lucas. Next time could be different.

[unixfox]

When he first ran for Congress from Kentucky's 4th District, Lucas promised to serve no more than three terms.

Promises, Promises...

Liar, Liar...

[JohnnyZ]

I don't think Frist will leave at the end of his current term since his elevation to Majority Leader

Speaking of breaking term limits promises . . .

[fieldmarshaldj]

Mind you, that's my gut feeling. He's said nothing that would indicate he will run for a 3rd term, so he may honor his pledge. I'd rather him break his pledge than have the prospect of a Sen. Harold Eugene Ford, Jr.

[GraniteStateConservative]

No, that's a misrepresentation. He never made a pledge to serve two terms.

[KQQL]

YES HE DID....Frist said he will run only twice..in 1994

[GraniteStateConservative]

Nope, go look up the quote. His press secretary recently said that Frist would not necessarily leave in 2006. He made no "pledge."

[JohnnyZ]

"He arrived in Congress as a citizen-legislator, having vowed to serve only two terms. . . .

"His pledge was unequivocal," said William Lyons, a political science professor at the University of Tennessee." LA Times

Since you seem to have different information, please share! All the news sources I've seen cite Frist saying in 94 he'd only serve two terms. He says now he meant he just would like to serve 12 years total in the senate, but that more would be possible, and says that's always been his message.

From Roll Call:
"Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), also elected in 1994, at least strongly implied to voters that he would serve only two six-year terms. Now that he’s Majority Leader with four years to go before he’d have to leave office, his spokesman is saying that Frist "never made a pledge" to limit his tenure."

[GraniteStateConservative]

William Lyons is entitled to his opinion-- as is the writer of that first quote.

Neither can show that he "vowed" or "pledged" to quit after two terms. The fact is that he didn't pledge or vow to quit. His spokesman said what he said because it's an easily verifiable truth. I don't have free access to Lexis-Nexis, so I can't get the quotes.